Sunday, August 26, 2007

The bishop was the last speaker. It is interesting that the bishop spoke next since is he called to be a judge in his role to lead a congregation.

The bishop talked about the law of the fast. He reviewed that we fast for two consecutive meals once a month. On that fast Sunday we are to attended our testimony meeting and contribute at least the cost of the two meals that we did not eat to the poor. He said that in our ward we are not doing a very good job of taking care of our needy. He said that our fast offering fund in in the hole and that other congregations in the Church are having to pitch in to take care of our members.

He remind us that when we fast we should fast with a purpose and not just go hungry. He shared a couple of examples of fasting from the scriptures.

I didn't catch the reference of the first one, but I think he said that Alma was teaching in a city and the people were not responding to him. He left the city and fasted. He then returned to the city and came across a man, Amulek I think, that said that he had been shown in a vision that Alma would come and teach him.

The second example he gave was in Luke 4 when the Savior was tempted he fasted. He then closed with the words from one of our hymns:Because I have been given much, I too must give;Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I liveI shall divide my gifts from theeWith ev’ry brother that I seeWho has the need of help from me(“Because I Have Been Given Much,” Hymns, 1985, no. 219)

Sunday SchoolPaul and Silas cast out devils from a woman. She was employed by someone and after that she was worthless to them and they had Paul and Silas arrested for doing this. We see that Paul used this adversity for them to convert this jailer, who had been prepared.

They ended up in Athens. The Athenians replaced revelation with reason and learning. They were distracted by always wanting some new thing.

We watched a short video presentaion on the second coming. It was exerpts from talks from a couple of apostles reiterating that no man knoweth the day of the second coming. We should not fret, nor should we give up because we think the time is so close.

PriesthoodChapter 16 - Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball - The Sabbath a DelightThe sabbath is not a day for business or recreation.

Businesses will not be open on that sacred day if they are not patronized.

There is a season for everything. There is a time for playing. There is a time for worship.Some people must work on the sabbath and some are truly necessary, but it is our motives that are the most important consideration.

DosWorshipMeditationMan is temporarily released from the injuction, "By the sweat of thy brow..."PrayerPreparing lessonsVisiting sickChurch meetingsLetters to missionariesProper CourtingRest

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Stake ConferenceThere was a small orchestra and choir made up of members of the stake that provided some of the music. The orchestra did the prelude music, which seemed to have a nice effect.

Sister Corey - Wife of the President of the Indianapolis Indiana MissionShe introduced herself. She said that President Faust extended their call to this mission to them. They were called recently.

President David L. Corey, President of the Indianapolis Indiana MissionHe read part of the dedication prayer of the kirtland temple (D&C 109:55-57). He also read some of the acceptance (D&C110:7-9,11-15). This where the prophet Elijah returned and restored the sealing power.

He cited a couple of passages on missionary work.James 5:19-20 - If we help to convert one from error then we will save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins.Mosiah 18:30 - He substituted the name Indiana in this verse for the word Mormon. Just as those at the waters of Mormon were converted were blessed and beautiful, so will be those that we bring to a knowledge of the Redeemer here in Indiana.

Stake Relief Society PresidentShe talked of being content with her meager home when she first got married until she visited with someone else who had a bigger and fancier house. She then read that in Heavenly Father's house there are many mansions (John 14: 2). She then realized that following Heavenly Father is where her happiness and peace would come.

She talked about an exercise that she witnessed where one was blind folded and stood in the middle of a circle of others. The blind folded were to fall and be caught by the others. When they would call out that they were ready to catch every blind folded person turned their back to the same young man. They knew his voice and that they could trust him.

President Glen Moyes 2nd Councilor in Stake PresidencyHe quoted 1 Nephi 2:6-7 about sacrafice. He talked about that sacrafices have been required of God's people to be as a similitude of the Savior's sacrafice for us. What are we called upon to sacrafice today? Money for tithes and offerings, time for service, time for attending an inconvenient meeting, or a new TV in order to be prepared with food in storage and money in our savings account.

He shared an experience by Elder Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Eyring said that he and his father volunteered to pull weeds in one of the church's fields. At the end of the day someone came and told his dad the weeds he had pulled had been sprayed and would've been dead in a few days anyway. His dad laughed thinking that it was a funny irony. He asked his dad how he could laugh about wasting so much time for nothing. His father responded that he wasn't there for the weeds.

President Paul Sinclair - President of the Indiana Indianapolis North StakeHe said that he hoped that we have been taking notes. Not of what the speakers said, but of the things that the spirit speaks to us about what the speaker is saying.

He also said that he came across the Dangerous Book for Boys in a book store. It had essential things that boys should know and what gear boys should have in their pockets, under their beds, or in their car trunk. He said that his talk was going to be much the same for us.

The first thing the book said that every boy should have is a swiss army knife, because it is so versitile. He said that the first thing we should all have with us is the scriptures. Have them in your heart and mind more than just have them crammed in your pocket. The scriptures will help us avoid and get out of danger.

The next thing a boy should have is a compass. For us that would be to have the Holy Ghost with us. It will direct us and make sure we are going in the right direction.

The next thing a boy could have is a hankerchief. For us this would be the covenants we have made.

A magnifying glass. Our callings.

Shooter marble. We should carry the symbols of who we want to be. CTR rings, YW madalions.

Box of matches. Testimony.

He talked of having a car that his teenaged children use. He said he needed to take the car in for work to be done on it. He opened the trunk to put something in it and found several things that his kids apparently thought they might need. A sled, in August. A car seat for a younger sibling. A tamborine. A length of rope. As he moved things around to fit what he had into the trunk he found two sacrament trays. One for bread and one for water. His son had been doing his duty to take the sacrament to those that were physically unable to come out to church.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Baptism for the dead is a way to serve others. Baptism is a physical ordiance, so it must be done in mortality. Many did not have the gospel in their area before they died and others are getting a second chance before resurrection and the opportunity closes.

A brother gave a talk in Spanish and a missionary translated. He talked about going to the temple with his family for the first time three years ago. He talked of the peace and cleanness in the temple. He said that he had been shaving and blood ended up on his collar by the time they reached the temple. He was concerned that his shirt was not white to enter the temple. One of the workers dabbed a little water on his collar and cleaned it off. He was amazed that they were able to get it clean so easily.

He said that recently they were to go to the temple and traffic was terrible and was going to prevent him from being able to go. He prayed as he traveled and the cars parted and he was able to make it on time.

He said that the greatest thing for a hispanic in america is having a job and a car. He said that for him and his family it was finding the church.

Sunday schoolTeacher shared that she always felt that it was unfair that people in old times got to have prophets and that direct guidence from God. When she heard that the church had prophets she was very excited. As a continuance of that, years later when President Hinkley state that women were not to have more than one piercing in their ears and men were to have none and no one was to have tatoos she was also excited. She had more than one piercing in her ears and was happy to receive guidence from God through a prophet.

We talked about the similarity between the gentiles receiving the gospel in Peter's day and blacks receiving the priesthood in our day. The gentiles were a people that had been separated by their culture from the Jews. In our day events separated blacks and whites. The Lord kept those separations in place for a time and then said that those things needed to change.

A brother related on how one of the Church magazine's name was changed years ago and what a number of letters that generated to the Church offices. He was comparing that to who grumble about other policy changes.

There were those that grumbled about giving blacks the priesthood and some that grumble because it was ever kept from them. Just like in Peter's vision on food and giving the gospel to the gentiles what God commands does not necessarily match man's wisdom.

Elders' Quorum MeetingSpencer W Kimball manual ch 15 We Should Be a Reverence PeopleIt is more about what it is in our hearts than an outward action. Although our hearts will influence our outward action.

Guy shared that his mom said that if he wouldn't do something in front of he then they he shouldn't be doing it. She told him that when he got married then if he wouldn't do it in front of his wife then he shouldn't do it. He said that more accurately or to take it to the next level, if we would not do it in from of Jesus then we shouldn't do it.

We teach our kids to be reverent and fold their arms when leaving class and going to the bathroom. That may be all we can get to with a small child, but as adults we should be able to get a bit deeper with ourselves about reverence.

Reverence comes from the word revere. We should consider what it means to revere something.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Fast and Testimony MeetingOne of the young men that just turned 18 talked of being ordained an elder. He also talked about preparing to put in his mission papers shortly.

A brother got up and talked about the documentary he went out to Utah to be a part of about black people in Latter-day Saint history. He said that there is a web site about it (http://untoldstoryofblackmormons.com). The project isn't sponsored by the church, but this brother said that it is important.

Sunday SchoolThe apostles having to call others to assist in serving the church. People were grousin at them about the people not being provided for well enough. "Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." (Acts 6: 2)

We discussed the various benefits that the individuals performing service and the congregation get from serving others.

We went over the stoning of Stephen and the conversion of Saul.

Sometimes we wonder why conversions and things don't happen for us as dramatically as they did in the old days. The answer is that they were uncommon back them as well. The are the exceptions. The rule is to study it out and pray to gain an answer.

Elder's Quorum MeetingFirst presidency message from president Faust. Welcoming Every Single One."My desire in this message is to offer opportunities for development and happiness for all members, whether married or single."

Happiness isn't measured by what happens outside of you, but what happens inside of you. Pray often. Heavenly Father knows you best.Parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-6)

I left the meeting early since my son was giving a talk in primary on the Holy Ghost.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Sacrament MeetingOne of the youth reported on the youth conference we just had. The conference had been scheduled to start Thursday. Due to the service project needing to be changed and not as much labor being needed on it as had been needed on the originally scheduled project the start day of the conference was moved to Friday. Initially the youth grumbled about that and some were pretty determined to not have a good time because of it, but in the end many of those youth were very moved by the experience.

The first adult speaker related a story from the emergency room. A fifteen year old was brought after crashing a car he had stolen. The parents of the boy were blaming the incident on the owner of the car for not having locked the doors.

I believe the first speaker referenced The Gift by Blaine M. Yorgensen. For some reason I made a note about it, but can't find it online to refresh myself on why I made a note about it.

Second SpeakerThere are 6 steps to repentance and none of them include excuses, denial, and blaming others.

The book of Ether has 2 examples of repentance. One a righteous man and on not so righteous. One repented quickly and one was slow to get around to repenting.Join Priesthood and Relief Society Meeting

The bishop showed a standard organization pyramid where there are a few people on top like a CEO and such. He then showed an inverted pyramid with the bishop on the bottom.He talked of several areas where we do well in supporting our bishop. Things like funerals where people assist witht he setup and such.

He then talked of an area where we need to do a lot better. Home and visiting teaching. He said that in home teaching the men are getting to about one family a month per home teaching companionship. There are a lot of people that we can't find or who are not active in church that can be difficult to get to, but the numbers reflect that we aren't even getting out to see those that are active.

It is the responsibility of everyone who has taken on them the name of Christ to take care of each other.